If you don't know how to communicate properly, you are going to have problems in both your intimate and your family relationships. You are going to be ineffective in work and business situations. It's going to be troublesome managing employees or getting what you want from your boss or your clients on a daily basis. Overall, effective communication is like an engine oil that makes your life run smoothly, getting you wherever you want to be.

The Solution to Social Anxiety: Break Free from the Shyness That Holds You Back

Are you held back by shyness? Do many things seem out of reach due to social anxiety? Many people have settled into thinking this is just how life is... "This is just the way I am." However, nothing could be further from the truth. In this inspiring, breakthrough book, Dr. Aziz guides you along the path out of social anxiety and into greater confidence in yourself. You will discover what is keeping you stuck in shyness and learn exactly what to do in order to break free. After suffering from social anxiety himself for many years, Dr. Aziz became determined to find a way to social freedom. His deep understanding if what creates the social fears, shyness, and limitations, displays just how much he gets what it feels like to be shy.

The Powerfully Confident Man: How to Develop Magnetically Attractive Self-Confidence

Imagine being able to confidently interact, impress and attract everyone you meet. To always make a vigorously positive first impression and be an instant and obvious leader in all situations. This life-changing book shows you how to make a dramatic paradigm shift to accelerate through the three phases of male maturation to become serenely comfortable in your own skin. Discover the secrets to embracing your strengths and skillfully harnessing them to attain maximum leverage on life.

The Art of Extraordinary Confidence: Your Ultimate Path to Love, Wealth, and Freedom

Confidence is the doorway to success in all areas of life. Whether you want to excel in your career, triple your income, create an amazing relationship, or just feel happy and satisfied with who you are, self-confidence is essential. In this inspiring and liberating book, Dr. Aziz slices through each obstacle on the path towards ever-increasing confidence.

The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism (Int'l Edit.)

What if charisma could be taught? For the first time, science and technology have taken charisma apart, figured it out, and turned it into an applied science: In controlled laboratory experiments, researchers could raise or lower people's level of charisma as if they were turning a dial.

Outsmart Yourself: Brain-Based Strategies to a Better You

The brain is an astounding organ, and today neuroscientists have more insights than ever about how it works - as well as strategies for helping us live better every day. These 24 practical lectures give you a wealth of useful strategies for improving your well-being. By presenting evidence-based "hacks" for your brain, Professor Vishton empowers you to take charge of your life and perform better all around.

I Can Make You Confident

Would you like to feel strong in difficult situations? Would you like feel more sure about yourself? Would you like to have stronger self belief? Would like to feel authentic when you are talking to anybody? Would you like to have the confidence to go for what you want in life? Then let Paul McKenna help you! Paul McKenna phd wants to help you master your emotions and live with a greater send of ease and then certainty than ever before.

30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary: The 500 Words You Need to Know to Transform Your Vocabulary...and Your Life

In this cutting-edge program, 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary, personal development expert and English enthusiast Dan Strutzel will instruct, enlighten, and inspire you with a concentrated 30-day program that will teach you over 500 words. But, more than teaching you these words, the uniquely designed morning and evening review sessions will ensure that these words become a habit-knit part of your life - and with minimal effort on your part.

The Art of Conversation: Change Your Life with Confident Communication

Good conversation is at the heart of networking, meetings, interviews, negotiations and raising your profile. It can ease your way in work, enabling you to build alliances, create strong relationships with staff, bosses and clients, succeed at interviews, motivate and inspire. But conversation is something most of us were never taught! We learn to speak as babies, but how conversation actually works is something most of us pick up only haphazardly, and many have yet to learn.

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition

Perhaps once a decade, a book comes along that transforms people's lives in a very real, measurable way. This is one of them. Crucial Conversations exploded onto the scene 10 years ago and revolutionized the way people communicate when stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong. Since then, millions of people have learned how to hold effective crucial conversations and have dramatically improved their lives and careers thanks to the methods outlined in this book. Now, the authors have revised their best-selling classic to provide even more ways to help you take the lead in any tough conversation.

Goodbye to Shy: 85 Shybusters That Work!

Okay, so you're shy. Here are 85 proven techniques to help you conquer your shyness and change your life for good. No psychobabble. No nonsense. These tested "ShyBusters" prepare you for that upcoming party, work function, interview, date, and the rest of your life.

Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills

No skill is more important in today's world than being able to think about, understand, and act on information in an effective and responsible way. What's more, at no point in human history have we had access to so much information, with such relative ease, as we do in the 21st century. But because misinformation out there has increased as well, critical thinking is more important than ever. These 24 rewarding lectures equip you with the knowledge and techniques you need to become a savvier, sharper critical thinker in your professional and personal life.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change

In The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. With penetrating intelligence and an ability to distil vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives, Duhigg brings to life a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential for transformation.

Key Person of Influence: The Five-Step Method to Become One of the Most Highly Valued and Highly Paid People in Your Industry

Every industry revolves around Key People of Influence. Their names come up in conversation. They attract opportunities. They earn more money. Many people think it takes decades of hard work, academic qualifications and a generous measure of good luck to become a Key Person of Influence. This audiobook shows you that there is a five-step strategy for fast-tracking your way to the inner circle of the industry you love. Your ability to succeed depends on your ability to influence. Start now by listening to this audiobook.

Shane Lukas says:"A must hear/read book in order to survive and thrive in the 21st century"

Dark psychology is one of the most powerful forces at work in the world today. It is used by the most powerful influencers the world has ever known. Those who are unaware of it risk having it used against them. Don't run that risk!

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

David Allen reads an all-new edition of his popular self-help classic for managing work-life balance in the 21st century - now updated for the new challenges facing individuals and organizations in today's rapidly changing world. Since it was first published more than 15 years ago, David Allen's Getting Things Done has become one of the most influential business books of its era and the ultimate book on personal organization.

C says:"Good overview of methodology but only in addition to the book"

HBR's 10 Must Reads on Leadership

If you listen to nothing else on leadership, you should at least hear these 10 articles (featuring "What Makes an Effective Executive", by Peter F. Drucker). We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles on leadership and selected the most important ones to help you maximize your own and your organization's performance.

Publisher's Summary

Nationally recognized communication expert, keynote speaker and trainer, and best-selling author Debra Fine reveals the techniques and strategies anyone can use to make small talk - in any situation. Do you spend an abnormal amount of time hiding out in the bathroom or hanging out at the buffet table at social gatherings? Does the thought of striking up a conversation with a stranger make your stomach do flip-flops? Do you sit nervously through job interviews waiting for the other person to speak? Are you a Nervous Ned or Nellie; when it comes to networking? Then it's time you mastered The Fine Art of Small Talk. With practical advice and conversation cheat sheets, The Fine Art of Small Talk will help you learn to feel more comfortable in any type of social situation, from lunch with the boss, to an industry event, to a business networking opportunity or even a cocktail party where you don't know a soul. This fast paced, informative audio program offers concrete tools to:

Strike up conversations and keep them going

Master introductions and remember names

Come across as composed and self-assured when interacting with decision makers, clients, and colleagues

Develop rapport with anyone

Become an "active" listener

Overcome communication barriers

Handle awkward situations

Come up with topics to discuss

Avoid conversation "killers"

Prepare for successful conversation

Exit conversations with grace

Feel more at ease at award receptions, banquets, receptions and networking events

I read two other books on the subject via audible that were rubbish and unpractical. This was great, the right mix of practical and theory, lots of situations covered. Give it a go if your looking for some help!

Defintely give her credit for managing to get published with this. As my title says, unless youhave lived in a cave for your entire life, this shows you nothing. It makes you feel like a fool for even wasting some time on it.

Anyone interested in improving small talk skills should surely benefit from suggestions in this book. However it presumes that you have all you need already and the issue is that you dont know how to 'get out of your shell'. It gives quite a few good tips, but the list and conversation examples are not exhaustive, so it could be a little more practical. To conclude however its definately worth a read. information is presented in a nice clear manner.

This book is for introverted people who need help with approaching and talking to people. It offers good advise, but it's a little more florid than it needs to be and, as with most books, it would be better if it was read by a professional and not the author.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

C. Johnson

Cali

29/09/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Excellent book!!!"

Gentle instructions of how to become a skilled small talker. The most important skill I have learned so far. I noticed immediate change, thank you!!!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Heidi

04/01/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great advice, awful monologue."

Would you consider the audio edition of The Fine Art of Small Talk to be better than the print version?

Minutes after listening to the audio book, I started thinking that the print version would have been better.

Who was your favorite character and why?

N/A there's only one character as far as I know.

What didn’t you like about Debra Fine’s performance?

She just wasn't engaging enough. At lot of times I got lost and had to listen to a chapter again because I got distracted.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Nope.

Any additional comments?

Don't get me wrong, the book is really good but it'll be better with another narrator. She might be good with small talk but audiobook narrating is not her strong suit.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Troy

DALLAS, TX, United States

27/04/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Exactly What I Expected"

I spend a lot of time alone, both at work and at home, so my social skills are dismal to say the least. Every now and again, I feel the need to remind myself that such things are exactly that: skills. They can be improved and practiced. It's just a question of getting the basics fresh in your mind. Building a solid foundation is the always the most important part.

And that's the entire nature of this book. Most of it is common sense to those who are have built the skill set, and even for people like me, it makes sense. Anything more than what this book covers is going to come down to personality. Some things you just can't get from a book. For what this audiobook offers, it's worth the listen if you're inclined to to give it a go.